


She's a Barakat, She'll Make It (Jack Barakat)- (Daddy Jack)

by MyLovelyHopefulLifetoLive



Category: All Time Low (Band)
Genre: Baby First Steps, Daddy is Domestic, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Happens While On Stage, NICU, Premature Birth, Some angst, Unplanned Pregnancy, eventual marriage proposal, lots of flashbacks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-09
Updated: 2019-01-09
Packaged: 2019-10-07 08:17:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,003
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17362370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MyLovelyHopefulLifetoLive/pseuds/MyLovelyHopefulLifetoLive
Summary: As yours and Jack’s daughter, May Joyce, is about to take her first steps, you reflect on the events that lead up to this moment.Based on the photo of Jack that can be found here:http://mylovelyhopefullifetolive.tumblr.com/post/181872621851/shes-a-barakat-shell-make-it-jack-barakatCredit to owner.





	She's a Barakat, She'll Make It (Jack Barakat)- (Daddy Jack)

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was intended to be a drabble, but 1,997 words later, I realize I got carried a little way. It’s fine, really because I really enjoyed how my ideas came together, and I proved to myself that, with willpower and self-confidence, I can write almost anything I want!

The thought hits him like a freight train, hard and unexpected.

He's never been happier, never prouder and in awe of you, and especially never more honored that in a short while, you'll officially be his Mrs. Barakat.

This thought, which guides his illuminated brown eyes and pure grin to your position on the left side of the stage, he realizes, comes as he watches you coaxing 10-month-old May Joyce Barakat into taking her first steps.

In fact, watching the both of you, her, clad in a "My Daddy's the Guitarist" t-shirt (a gift from the band) and blue jeans and standing a short distance away from your legs, and you, a very proud mother and holding her up by her fingers, taking small steps together to teach her the motions, melts his heart.

Because, in all honesty, it's a sight he'd never thought he'd get to see, not after what he, you and little M.J. had been through. 

 

                                                                                                          ____

_You admitted it._

_Dragging Jack to your OB-GYN appointment disguised as a routine physical was not the best way of giving him the news. Then again, what other choice did you have, given that in your relationship, you'd but barely breached the topic at hand?_

_"Congratulations Ms. (Y/N) and Mr. Barakat! You're going to be parents!"_

_The 5-word dreaded announcement which Dr. Klambert had said with great enthusiasm was met with an adverse reaction, that is, shame from your part and complete inexpression from Jack._

_Having sensed the grim and uncomfortable atmosphere reining in the room, she had quickly swiveled back in her chair to her desk, hurriedly gathered up a collection of prenatal brochures ranging from the best vitamins and diets to choose from to classes before handing them to you and saying, "(Y/N), your vitals and the baby's are good. Before your first ultrasound in about 12 weeks, start on the vitamins and if there's anything, just call the clinic.” Then, as she stuffed her briefcase and was exiting the threshold of the examination room, offered politely, "I'll leave you guys alone. I'll be three doors down if you need anything."_

_The fact that you had placed your hands on your not-yet existing bump in protection and that Jack, sitting in the chair next to the examination bench, where you lay, had his back rounded and his eyes staring absently at his hands folded over his lap, was evidence enough that a frightening talk was much needed._

_"Jack," you had started calmly, maneuvering your body so that you were sitting up and facing him but he didn't do as much as flinch. At this, you repeated his name once more, in a sterner manner, hoping that your self-assurance would have broken his trance. To not avail, you became desperate, letting out all your apologies and fears in one long aching plea:_

_"Jack, I'm sorry, okay? I just didn't know how else to tell you. I know that we didn't talk about this and that it's unexpected and that it's interfering with your career but don't think for a second that I'm not scared! I'm absolutely terrified! There's too much to wrap my head around, too many ifs! What food to eat, what activities to do, what to buy, what will my parents,_ _your parents think, not to mention that there might be pregnancy complications, like miscarriage or birth defects. If you really, really want, we can abort, which I don’t want because I'll never be forgiven, but even that comes with complications, like physical pain, emo-"_

_"-If it's a girl, we're naming her May Joyce after my mom and my sister."_

_"What?" You had responded in a baffled manner, that is, with furrowed eyebrows and confused eyes, the result of him having unexpectedly interrupted you with his confident, yet, sly statement, sudden upward head and eye tilt and sudden body moving into vertical position._

_"I said if it's a girl, we'll name her after my sist-" he had repeated calmly, as if your outburst had never happened._

_"So you're okay with this?" You exclaimed, still with wide eyes and furrowed eyebrows, not understanding how calm he could be in such a stressful situation._

_"I'm not going to say that I'm super thrilled because just like you, I'm terrified but (Y/N), we've been together for almost 5 years. Maybe this is the universe telling us it's time. And, since no parents are perfect, we'll take this parenting thing one day at a time. Besides, we have our parents to help us. Mine didn't do such a bad job of raising me."  he explained in a mature tone, even joking at the last sentence._

_"Yeah, your parents are angels!" you had joked in agreement as he helped you off the bench and into the parking lot, with his arms around your shoulders, the both of you relieved at how the reveal turned out, yet frightened of what parenting would bring._

_For the most part, the pregnancy was optimal._

_Except for experiencing the common side effects of pregnancy, such as morning sickness which started during the sixth week, constipation and swollen feet, and, on occasion, Jack going into "overprotective Daddy mode,” you thoroughly enjoyed the more positive aspects of this phenomenon, that is, yours and Jack's parents being extremely delighted, almost to the point of crying, to hear the news; feeling elation upon finding out that you'd be birthing a girl: being grateful for your surprise baby shower which due to the gifts and support you received heavily relieved you; both you and Jack experiencing completely awe at the evolution of your bump (which he liked to caress and kiss) and the marvel that is pregnancy, receiving compliments on your glow, exhaling in relief after being told that your baby was healthy and well within the norm; feeling romantic while you and Jack decorated the nursery, and overall, eagerly anticipating the birth of your little one, who would forever change your life._

_The day she decided to make her appearance in this world was not at all within your due date, but rather at 33 weeks, sending both you and Jack in hysterics. Following your emergency C-section, due to her being a moderately preterm baby, M.J. was, after immediate medical testing, automatically whisked away to the NICU for the next four weeks, and during this time, you and Jack spent every allowable moment with her._

_It was physically and emotionally heartbreaking, realizing that the first glimpses of her were showing her miserable self and distressed body, and that you couldn't do anything to help. In fact, with her 4-1/2-pound body placed in an incubator because she didn't have enough body fat to keep her warm, her cannula and feeding tube, since she wasn't yet able to do any of those things on her own, and stickers placed on her chest, monitoring her heart rate and oxygen level, she epitomized the opposite of what a newborn should look like._

_Almost daily, Jack found you heavily sobbing in front of her cubicle, pulling at your hair and whimpering on repeat, ''What did I do wrong?'', What did we do wrong?'', 'Why our baby?'' When seeing how much you were blaming yourself for something that, in this case, couldn't have been prevented, he'd take you to a quiet place in the NICU and wipe your tears with his thumbs. Then, after taking a hold of your fists, which had the unfortunate tendency to punch his chest in frustration, he'd wrap them, along with your arms, around his waist, pull you in closer, make you press the side of your face in his chest, and against his lulling heartbeat, you'd hear him say encouragingly in your hair, ''She's a Barakat (Y/N), she'll make it.''_

_You truly had no other choice but to believe him._

_Gradually, your despair turned into pride as May Joyce achieved NICU milestones: first, being able to eat without a feeding tube, accompanied by no longer needing to be in the incubator, then, being cleared for heart conditions and finally, by the end of the fourth week, being taken off the ventilator, which also meant being transferred to a bassinet in the maternity wing, where she'd stay a few more days for observation before discharge, that is, when you'd finally get to bring her home._

_The proposal happened a day before she was set to leave, as you were the only parents in the maternity wing, admiring her through the wide window, looking fondly at the way her swaddled body was sleeping peacefully, without any equipment attached to her, with her fists closed, Jack's hands on your shoulders, a reminder that, he too, was appreciative of your little princess' recovery,_

_"You were right" you pointed out, glad that you had chosen to believe his affirmation, "Barakats do make it through."_

_"Yeah," he had replied matter-of-factly, but not arrogantly before continuing in a mumble, "Does that mean that you'll become one?"_

_"What?" You had replied, confused and not understanding a single word he had said. When he didn't answer, and you had noticed that the hands on your shoulders were no longer present, you had called his name and even turned to find him, only stopping when the sight to your left had made you gasp._

_Jack was down on one knee, holding in his open palm a clear pacifier with the teat placed upward, the guard and ring downward, as if to emulate an engagement ring and box, with a hopeful, yet graceful smile stretching his lips._

_''(Y/N) (Y/L/N)'', he began and so did the acceleration of your heart and body warmth, ''I know this isn’t how you were expecting to be proposed to, in fact, I didn't even think I'd do it this way, but seeing you with our munchkin, which is the best gift you could have ever given me, how patient you are with her, with me, and knowing that we can finally bring her home tomorrow and be a family, it makes me realize that there's not a day that I don't want to spend with either of you. With that being said, the only way of that happening is for you to become my wife.'' After taking in a deep breath, he had asked the momentous question, ''So, will you marry me?''_

_Overwhelmed at his romantic and authentic words, not because you were unhappy, but rather the opposite, you had replied through happy tears, ''Jack Barakat, I will be delighted to marry you'' and then, as he slipped the pacifier's ring around your finger, had giggled due to its obviously imperfect fit._

_And just as you were about to throw your arms around his neck and bruise his lips with yours for a series of vigorous kisses, May Joyce had decided, at that moment, through the glass, to open her brown eyes and giggle cheerily, as if she knew her parents were embarking on yet another exciting adventure._

_______

 

''Think you can walk to Daddy?'' you prompt, letting go of her hands and patting her behind.

Accepting this challenge, she gives you a confident toothless grin before hesitantly putting her right forward, then the her left and so on until she's eagerly strolling the short distance to meet her father, her body wiggling as she does so.

The moment she reaches Jack's feet, he's scoping her up in his arms and commending her on yet another milestone she's reached in her young life '' You did it, girly! You took your first steps for Mommy and Daddy!'' and then proceeds to tickle her cheeks with his beard while twirling her around, causing her to loudly giggle and him, to laugh in contentment.

Wrapping your arms around yourself in amusement, you take in this beautiful father-daughter moment, thinking that one, of course, Jack Barakat's (and yours) kid would take her first steps on a stage, and two, that although it sounded odd, in a few months’ time, he'd actually become your . . . husband.

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, as usual, I would really appreciate if you could give me feedback on this oneshot!


End file.
